This morning at CES, Tivo unveiled a newly redesigned search function called Tivo Search.

The existing “Swivel Search” will be phased out, which is great news, if you ask me. Swivel Search was mostly a joke, as soon as it was released. It wasn’t very useful and never served up satisfying or relevant results.

The more recent Tivo software update included a new search tool which was much more satisfying. The new search UI takes it to the next step by taking advantage of HDTV screens and  allowing for more on-screen details without lots of digging. Tivo said the redesign means “less less navigation and quick, accurate results.”

Over at Gizmodo, they have some screen shots that indeed shows off the wider screen format, as well as video windows along the top row. This may mean that users can now continue to watch their existing show, while searching. Or Tivo may include some advertisements.

The good news is that the search gives you the HD options first, so you can record those, rather than SD. The best news? You can get YouTube search results! This is a new addition from the old Tivo search functions. I’m so glad they included YouTube results, since there’s lots of room for discovery there.

The bad news is that Tivo Search doesn’t look up your NetFlix account or queue. How’s that for lame? Tivo is definitely pushing Amazon VOD content in search results, which makes me believe they might have some revenue deal, or something with primary search placement. Anyone else know how the Tivo/Amazon deal is structured?

Anyway, I haven’t fired up my Tivo this morning yet, but the company said that all Tivo Series 3, Tivo HD and Tivo HD XL boxes should be enabled with the new search today.

According to research from Leichtman Research Group, 25% of U.S. households have at least 1 DVR. Over 30% have at least two DVRs. The research company polled 1,300 households in the U.S. (and apparently has been doing these surveys for the last seven years).

Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group said that the number of US households with DVRs has essentially doubled in the past two years and it “will likely double again over the next four years.”

“DVRs, along with on-demand, continue to change the way that many people watch TV. LRG forecasts that DVR and on-demand’s share of total TV viewing time in the U.S. will increase from about 6% today to 16% at the end of 2012.”

• 87% of DVR owners said they would recommend the DVR to a friend.
• On a scale of 1-10, 81% of owners rate their DVR 8-10 with 45% assigning it a perfect 10.
• 35% of DVR owners feel that they spend more time watching programs recorded on their DVR than regularly scheduled programs.
• 45% of DVR owners record five or fewer programs per week.
• 68% of digital cable subscribers say that they have used VOD–with 85% of this group having used VOD in the past month.
• 42% of VOD users are more likely to keep digital cable because of on-demand.

Bonus: For those still reading, you can download the PDF from the company here.  (PDF)

I know that DVRs are great. But can they save relationships? That’s what a survey of DVR users claims, according to lots and lots of articles on the Internet. The survey also said that 80% of U.S. respondents said they can’t live without their DVRs.

The survey was released by NDS, a company that focuses on securing broadcast TV content and providing DVR technology to satellite TV broadcasters. (As a side note, NDS is a subsidiary owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.)

Apparently NDS paid a UK company called Consumer Analysis Group to conduct this survey. Although the results of this survey doesn’t come from an independent research and analysis firm, CAG seems to be a fairly typical firm that does consumer surveys. Apparently, NDS wanted to generate a press release about DVRs. Of course NDS benefits from the headlines generated about the survey results because they are a provider of DVR technology.

CAG Survey Picture

NDS said that Consumer Analysis Group polled of 1,012 people aged 18-70 years old who use DVRs in four countries. Each country had about 250 respondents each: UK (256), US (252), Italy (251) and Australia (253). The survey was conducted “using a mix of phone, street and online interviews.” Everything sounds good except for the part that says “street interviews”. Sounds kind of low-tech. (Here’s a picture from the CAG website, of someone seemingly using this low-tech survey approach. I wonder how many people they had to qualify in that actually used DVRs.)

Anyway, the results are interesting because they illuminate what lots of DVR users and analysts know already. It also points to what the future of TV may look like, as more and more people experience DVRs and TV on-demand.  As an analyst and DVR expert, I certainly enjoy these types of surveys, and I’ll have to read the entire report soon and report what I find.

In the mean time, some factoids I lifted from the press release:

Americans rank the DVR as the third most indispensable household item (62%), after the washing machine (97%) and the microwave oven (86%)

Americans rank the DVR as the second most essential household technology item they can’t live without (81%), beaten only by the mobile phone (92%)

3 out of 4 respondents with partners say that having a DVR makes for a happier home life

Bonus: Press Release here. Actual report PDF here.

Note to NDS: Indispensable is misspelled in the press release.